Apparatus for catching burglars



Oct. 22, 1929. INGLIS 1,732,270

APPARATUS FOR CATCHING BURGLARS File d Dec. 29, 1928 Q 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I T I E "11:51! /5 H LI ,5 INVENTOR. f Z, JTOB ERT f/vaL/ks,

BY 4 wdfiim ATTORNEY. v

Oct. 22, 1929. I INGLls 1,732,270

APIARA'IUS FOR CATCHING BURGLARS Filed Dec. 29, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet '2 ggy l INVENTOR. ROBERT [NGL/S A TTORNE Y.

Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7' ROBERT INGLIS, OF ONAWAY, MICHIGAN APPARATUS FOR CATCHING BURGLARS Application filed December 29, 1928. Serial No. 329,201.

cage has an entrancedoor opening and an exit door opening, and the party desiring to transact business at the window, must enter the cage to approach the window. In the event of any improper conduct on the part of such person, the cashier or teller at the rear of the counter aotuates means which causes two sliding doors to close and cover the door open 'ings, whereby the person is caught withm the cage. Means are provided to hold the doors in the open position, and to lock the same in the closed position, when shifted to such closed position. A sliding door is also arranged to cover the cashiers or tellers window, and is closed when the side door is closed. The construction is simple, strong and durable, and easy to operate, without liability of derangement.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals areemployed to designate likeparts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cage embodying my invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, .Figure 3 is an inner side elevation of the same,

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on line H of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on line 55 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 66 of Figure 5',

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken on line 77 of Figure 5,

Figure 8 is a detailed section taken on lin 88 of Figure 5, and,

Figure 9 is a plan v'iew'looking from line 99 of Figure 5.

Fig. 10 is a transverse section taken on lines while the pivot 20 projects outwardly across 1010 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral-10 designates the counter or partition of a bank, having formed in its upper portion a window 11, behind which the cashier, teller, or like oflicial works.

The invention embodies a cage 12, which is disposed forwardly of the counter 10, and encloses the window 11. This cage embodies a front wall 13 and side walls 14, and these side walls project rearwardly of the counter 10. The top of the cage is preferably closed by bars15 or the like, to aid in ventilation and a small window 16 may be formed in the front wall 13. Door openings 17 are formed in the side walls 14, and lead into the opposite ends of the cage, whereby the person desiring to transact business at the window 11, may enter the cage at either end, and leave by the opposite end.

Each side wall 14 is double and embodies an outer wall section 18, and an inner wall section 19, spaced, as shown, to afford a passage 20, for receiving a horizontally sliding door 21. This door is supported at its top by flanged wheels 22, carried by shafts 23, extending transversely through openings in the door. These flanged wheels operate upon tracks 24, which are rigidly attached to the tops of the wall sections 18 and 19. Each door, when released, is quickly and automatically shifted to the closed position,to cover the door opening 17, by a weight 25, attached to a cable 26, passed about a pulley 27, pivotally supported at 28. The cable is attached to the outer end of the door, as shown at 29.

The numeral 30 designates a lever,'which is pivoted to the door 21, as shown at 31, to swing in a vertical plane. The lever is posi- 'tioned inwardly of and near the inner wall section 19, as clearly shown in Figure 6,

the same. The lever 30 isprovided at its pivoted end with a locking dog 32, rigidly secured thereto, and this dog is'adapted to engage behind a pin 33, which is attached to the mner Wall section 19, as shown. A gravity 10o operated locking pawl 34 is also mounted upon the pin 31, and is adapted to engage with ratchet teeth 35, formed upon the inner wall section 19. The rear portion of the inner wall section is preferably cut away, by large openings, affording a strip 36. The purpose of this is to afford ready access to the locking lever 30, to set the same.

Co-acting with the locking lever 30, is a resilient holding device 36, including a pair of spaced leaf-springs 37, the rear ends of which are rigidly attached to the inner wall section 19, as shown. The forward ends of these leaf-springs 37 are bent inwardly, form- 'ing flat closing lips 38, the ends of which are bent or curved outwardly, as shown at 39, for providing a guide. The numeral 40 designates a resilient stop, attached to the inner side of the door 21, to limit the forward movement of the lever.

The two levers 39 are swung forwardlyby cables 41, passing about guide pulleys 42, and over brackets 42, and extending downwardly for connection with a treadle 43, arranged at and below the window 11.

The window 11 is adapted to be covered by a sliding door-44, supported by wheels 45, traveling upon a track 46. The door 44 is closed by a cable 47, passing about a pulley 48, and carrying a weight 48. Means are provided to hold the door 44 open, which areidentical with the means described in connection with the doors 21 and will not be again described in detail. This means embodies a lever 30, connected with a cable 49, passed about pulleys 50, and connected with the treadle 43.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The sliding doors 21 are shifted to the open or rear positions, and the locking levers 30 are forced between the leaf-springs 36 and are held in the set position, by the flat lips 38. The weights 25 automatically swing the doors 21 to the closed position, when the doors are released, but these weights are not sufiiciently heavy to free the levers 30 from the holding action of the leaf-springs. The locking dogs 32 now engage'behind the pins 33. In the event of an emergency, the operator behind the window 11', depresses the treadle 43, and this pulls upon the cable 41, positively swinging the levers 3O rearwardly, and freeing them from holding engagement with the leafsprings 37 The locking dogs 32 are now swung-above and out of engagement with the pin 33. The doors 21 being free to travel, the weights 25 automatically and instantly shift the doors forwardly to the closed posi tion, covering the door opening 17, whereby the individual within the cage cannot escape from the same. When the doors are shifted to or near the closed position, the gravity operated locking pulleys 34, engage with the ratchet "51th, and the person within the cage can not open the doors. The doors will remain locked in the closed position, until they are again opened and reset by the individual behind the counter 10. The door 44 is also closed when the treadle 43 is depressed and locked in the closed position by the dog 34.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that certain changes in the shape,

size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subj oined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A control device for a sliding door, comprising a lever pivoted to the door to move therewith and having a holding dog, a sta tionary element which is engaged by the holding dog, a resilient holding device to releasably hold the lever in a set position, and means to pull the lever in the direction of closing movement of the door to free the same from the. holding device and to move the dog out of engagement with the station ary element, the arrangement being such that the pull upon the lever serves to aid in the closing of the door.

2. A control device for a sliding door, comprising a locking lever pivoted upon the door to travel therewith and having a holding dog, a pair of leaf springs so located that the locking lever may be swung between the same for holding frictional engagement therewith when the sliding door is in the open position, a stationary holding element for engagement with the dog when the locking lever is in the set position, and a pull element connected with the lever to swing the same upon its pivot to release the same from between said. leaf springs, the ull upon the lever being in the direction of closing movement of the door whereby such pull aids in closing the door.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT INGLIS. 

